


Magical Ring

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-14
Updated: 2011-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-16 23:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>O'Neill said, Now if you can't give me a yes by the time we reach McMurdo, I don't even want you. But John wasn't the only one who needed to make that decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magical Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **mcsheplets** prompt #76 Pre-Atlantis  
>  For **Vida_Boheme** \--Thank you simply for being YOU.

O'Neill had given him until the reaching McMurdo to make a decision and John knew that O'Neill wasn't bluffing. He could feel it in the man's demeanor, in the set of his mouth and the hardness in his eyes. Despite having never met O'Neill before ferrying him out to what he now knew was actually an Ancient Outpost rather than a simple research facility, John felt a respect for O'Neill that went deeper than for any of his commanding officers, past and present. He could tell just by looking at him that O'Neill had earned his rank in the field, and John knew that he would most likely still be in the field were it not for his age and the slight limp that might pass unnoticed by the majority. At some time, O'Neill had blown his knee, and John doubted that it was a sports' injury.

When O'Neill spoke of going through the Stargate, his eyes had become animated, as if the Stargate was truly a magical ring from fairy tales, leading to faraway lands and amazing adventures. It sounded just like the stories John's mother would read to him as a child, and it was the reason why he had rebelled against his father and joined the Air Force rather than follow his brother into the family business.

As the whiteness of Antarctica passed below them, John kept most of his focus on his instrumentation but the rest considered his options. O'Neill was offering John his childhood dreams, a chance to live the fairy tales. But John already understood the difference between reading about another's adventures, and living through them. It was so easy to romanticize war when you were not living with the hot sands and unrelenting heat of the sun beating down on you, not living with the constant threat of snipers and land mines, of suicide bombers that came in any form--even as children. It was easy to be romantic when you weren't cradling the bloodied and half-dismembered body of a friend against your chest, trying to use the force of your will to hold them to this earth, only to see the light fade from their eyes.

Going through this magical ring to faraway lands would be no different in that respect, but glancing across the cabin, John didn't need to ask O'Neill if he thought it had been worth the reality. He'd already been given that answer. Had this been any other kind of assignment, O'Neill would have given him more time to think it through but the fact that he wanted that answer now or never told John that what he was looking for was someone who could make a hard decision on his feet--and accept the consequences.

"Yes," he said through the headset, and beside him, O'Neill relaxed into his seat.

When they reached McMurdo ten minutes later, O'Neill accepted the salute. "I'd start packing now."

Within two hours, John was heading back to the Ancient Outpost, and this time he was no longer the pilot.

****

Rodney watched through the window as the helicopter came in to land, smiling wryly as he saw the bundled up form of Major Sheppard stepping out and grabbing a kit bag from the compartment behind. When the message came through that Sheppard had agreed to join the expedition, Rodney had felt the first jolt of courage within himself. Up until today, the likelihood of finding Atlantis had seemed infinitesimal, especially once they realized it might not even be on Earth. Until earlier, Rodney had never had to consider the possibility of leaving the relative security of Earth--relative because he had already been instrumental in saving the planet from Anubis on two occasions--and not just leaving Earth but accepting that he might never return, that it might very well be a one-way trip into the unknown. On a fear scale of one to ten, being exiled to Siberia barely rated at the bottom of the scale in comparison.

If he stayed behind then he could easily move into one of the big corporations and probably have that Nobel Prize by the time he was fifty. Stepping into the unknown would cost him that dream of renown and acknowledgment by his peers, and it could easily cost him his life too, and Rodney had never really been a risk taker outside of scientific experimentation. Yet if Sheppard could walk into this facility only seven hours earlier, learn the most incredible facts about alien life, magical rings leading to other worlds, Ancient civilizations and mutant genes--and be willing to step into the unknown to learn more, then he was either the most courageous man Rodney had met outside of SG-1, or he was clinically insane. Rodney really needed to know which it was.

"Major Sheppard."

Sheppard stopped in front of Rodney and cocked his head to one side before pointing at him. "You're the guy in the bright orange." He frowned in deep thought. "McKay."

Rodney looked down at his fleece in confusion, wondering at the significance of that statement. "Yes. Dr. Rodney McKay, PhD, PhD."

"Double-Doc."

"Huh? Oh. If you mean do I hold two doctorates then...yes. I'm probably the most intelligent man you will ever meet in this galaxy and the next."

"Really."

Carson sidled up beside Rodney and held out his hand to the Major. "He means, pleased to meet you again, Major Sheppard." Carson smiled warmly, and Rodney knew he was being teased. "If you won't mind following me, Major, I need to perform another wee medical check-up before Rodney commandeers you for the rest of the day."

Sheppard brushed past, leaving Rodney momentarily uncertain what to do but Sheppard flicked a glance over his shoulder, raising one mobile eyebrow that seemed to beckon him to follow, so Rodney drifted on behind. He paused outside the privacy curtain in the small medical center set up above ground level. Carson had another set up below, though it mostly housed his genetics experiments.

"As long as the Doc isn't planning on another rectal examination, I think you can come in, McKay."

Carson laughed softly at the reminder of the earlier full examination and blood-letting after discovering Sheppard had the ATA gene. "No. Not today, Major."

Rodney parted the curtain in time to see Sheppard grimace, and he felt a little sympathy because everyone got the full Carson check-up on a regular basis. It was standard procedure for anyone dealing with alien technology or going off-world. What amazed Rodney was that Carson only drew a little blood this time, though perhaps he simply felt he had taken enough earlier and would leave the poor Major anemic if he took even more now.

"That's it. You can go now, son."

Rodney rubbed his hands together, realizing he had Sheppard all to himself now. "Chair room?"

"Cafeteria." At Rodney's obvious confusion he continued. "Before we get started on anything, I want to ask some questions. Unless there's a reason for not talking in a semi-public area like the cafeteria then--"

"No. Everyone currently on-site has full security clearance."

"Okay."

Once more Sheppard led the way, which should have seemed strange as Rodney tended to lead rather than follow. There was something so confident and competent about Sheppard that Rodney felt...secure. O'Neill had that same effect on Rodney, making him feel just that little more confident with things outside of his control. They sat down in a small room consisting of barely half a dozen tables and Rodney watched as Sheppard wrapped both hands around his coffee mug, feeling a sudden insight into why Sheppard wanted to come to the cafeteria. Hospitality--or any other of the social graces--had always escaped Rodney's notice until someone pointed them out.

"So...you've saved the planet twice."

"Actually, I've been instrumental in saving it far more times but only twice with a front row seat." Rodney grimaced even though it was the truth. His equations had opened the hyperspace window that allowed O'Neill's X-302 take the overloading Stargate away from the Earth before it exploded and sent the planet into a nuclear winter. His work on naquadria had developed the technology that powered the engines and weaponry of the F-302s, which had fought that final battle with Anubis above this very outpost before O'Neill had powered up the Chair and taken out Anubis's fleet. That same technology was being used in the _Prometheus_ and was being incorporated into the second generation of hybrid Asgard-Earth deep-space ships that were due to come online within the next few months.

Sheppard had kept going off on tangents, wanting to know about the Asgard, Goa'uld, Tok'ra and Jaffa until Rodney mentioned spaceships. His eyes had lit up then.

"I'm sure the Ancients had spaceships too." Rodney felt strangely disappointed that Sheppard wasn't really interested in Rodney's planet-saving skills. But then, Sheppard was someone who had stood on the front line for most of his military career while Rodney had worked in the relative safety of his laboratory. Again, relative, because he was handling dangerous materials and raw power. As it was, Rodney had been keeping a tally of his lifetime exposure to radiation, and it wasn't looking too great, which was why he had already had sperm frozen just in case he ever wanted kids.

"You think we'll find some in Atlantis?"

"Well how could I possibly know what we'll find there?"

Instead of being disgruntled by Rodney's outburst, Sheppard grinned, and Rodney felt his stomach flip, recognizing the signs of a new crush on the handsome flyboy. It was so typical, as if his former crush on Samantha Carter had not been embarrassing enough already. Why did he always have to pick the unobtainable ones? Or the ones who thought their mere presence in his life could change his whole personality and turn him into cuddly and lovable Carson Beckett. Yes, Rodney knew he was abrasive, petty and arrogant on occasion. He knew he had a superiority complex but he really was one of the smartest people on the planet--probably in the Milky Way too--and dealing with idiots practically every day of his life was tiresome.

Sheppard was smirking now, as if he had recognized that sudden shot of desire that had crackled through Rodney, but he said nothing. He drank the last of his coffee and stood up.

"So, let's go check out this chair again."

Once more, Rodney found himself being led through the pre-fabricated buildings on the surface. Strangely, he still didn't really mind.

****

John flipped the coin high in the air and caught it, smiling wryly as it landed heads up. Not that the outcome really made much of a difference as O'Neill had been right about one thing. Once he had made up his mind to join the expedition, he would live--or die--with the consequences unless something compelling made him take a step back. So far, all John had discovered was more reasons to step forward, through that magical ring, and not even the disdain of Colonel Sumner had put a dampener on that.

Yet, when he thought about it late at night in his quarters, with his hand stroking himself to release, he knew it wasn't only fairy tales of adventures to faraway worlds that kept him moving forward. There was a certain abrasive, crooked-mouthed, and arrogant princess that needed protecting from the harsh realities, and John aimed to be Rodney's knight in shining armor. Perhaps one day, he might even marry the princess and have a happy ever after.

Maybe childhood dreams could come true if he stepped through the magical ring.

END

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